Monthly Archives: November 2014

Unless you’re downsizing, moving doesn’t usually lead to saving money. After all, between hiring movers, renting a moving truck, furnishing the new space and making back-and-forth trips, moving is usually something people have to do, not something they choose to do to save money.

But if you’re moving locally, or even out of state for work or other reasons, there are some ways you can save money if you plan ahead.

Whether it’s picking a cheaper zip code or renegotiating some of your bills, a move doesn’t have to incur costs. Here are several ways you can save money with a new address.

Driving 40 miles versus 5 of course makes a different, but what about taking the highway versus side streets?

I recently relocated locally and ended up moving farther away from work. However, because my commute now entails 9 miles of highway driving versus 3 miles on congested side streets, my car’s use of fuel has become about 15 percent more efficient. I’m going an extra 40 miles per tank, which is reducing my monthly gas costs by about one tank, or $55 dollars. It helps too that my highway commute is against traffic, whereas my side street commute was with it.

A Change Of Address Comes With Deals

In my recent move, I also made the mistake of purchasing everything for my new apartment before changing my address. More than $300 was racked up on the basics, from cleaning supplies to trash cans and additional kitchenware.

Once I changed my address online I received a packet in the mail with a dozen coupons to Home Depot, Pottery Barn and Target, among others. I made sure to go back to each store with my receipts to get the discount after the fact, but if I’d waited to change my address for much longer I could have lost out on my opportunity to save as much as 20 percent on my purchases.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 12 percent of Americans moved between 2012 and 2013. Of the roughly 36 million who did, more than 23 million moved within the same county, nearly 7 million moved within the same state and nearly 5 million moved out of state. Those who move across state lines might find it cheaper to buy some items new rather than move everything they have.

You Can Renegotiate Your Lease

If you’re not looking to move but are faced with a rent increase at the end of your lease, you could save money by opting to move rather than pay more rent. Look at prices for comparable apartments or homes in the area. If you live in an apartment complex with vacancies, look into the listing prices for these units. Oftentimes, updates and renovations are done to apartments between tenants, so a unit that just opened up in your building might have new appliances or a carpet for a lower price than your landlord is now asking of you with a lease renewal.

If that’s the case, doing some market research could equip you for a negotiation with your landlord or an apartment swap, saving you money.

You Can Lower Your Cable And Internet Bills

Moving can be a great opportunity to renegotiate your cable and internet package, especially since many introductory rates expire after a year or so. According to The Fiscal Femme, Time Warner Cable increases certain packages by $20 each month after the second year of service. Starting over, even locally, can give you the opportunity to take advantage of introductory rate periods again.

While at it, you can also potentially cut costs by looking into new banks and credit unions in your city. If you’re paying $30 in monthly maintenance fees, it might be time to cut costs on that front, as well. A move can feel like a new start; so apply that mentality to your regular bills and financial products.

Your Zip Code Could Affect The Prices You’re Charged

This might surprise you: Retailers charge different prices based on zip code. This is referred to as dynamic pricing. According to Life Hacker, as early as 2000, retailers like Amazon were testing this by offering three different prices on DVDs based on the location of the purchaser. In 2005, the University of Pennsylvania revealed that retailers can adjust prices based on an Internet user’s spending habits and search histories.

When looking up interest rates for national banks or cable package costs, a zip code is often required and serves a purpose for the retailer. If you’re looking to move within your current city, compare prices in different zip codes. Even a move of a few blocks, especially in highly populated areas, can put you in a new zip code and affect the prices you’re offered. But beware, moving to a less expensive part of town — especially in sprawls like Los Angeles — can backfire in terms of city maintenance and safety depending on the municipality in charge.

You’ll also want to investigate which cities have high salaries and low costs of living — it’ll greatly affect whether your savings grow or dwindle post-move.

One of the most unique things about Chestnut Hill is that it does not just belong to one municipality. It actually belongs to Newton, Brookline and Boston. When talking about Chestnut Hill, the area is mostly defined by it’s zip code.

Chestnut Hill is definitely one of the most affluent communities in Massachusetts, and it is also home to Boston College which brings to it a big social seem as well.

Colleges often impact homeowners who are planning a household move. Chestnut Hill residents really want to consider the move in and move out dates of students, especially those who live on the Brighton or Boston College areas of Chestnut Hill. But in general, residents should also pay attention to the Boston College Football home game schedule because these dates impact traffic and parking.

Chestnut Hill is also very well-known as one of the mile markers of Heartbreak Hill in the Boston Marathon, so Patriot’s Day should also be avoided when moving around this area.

Because the homes are very expensive in this area, homeowners tend to move more expensive items. This means that you should do extra research on the Chestnut Hill moving company to be sure that the company is properly insured in the case where there is damage to the home or to property. Also, you want to be sure that those who are moving your belongings are actually employees, and have been properly checked-out to be sure that you are confident with having them in your home.

There are numerous villages that make up the Newton area, Auburndale being one of them. Auburndale is often referred to by it’s residents as “The Dale” and it is located on the western edge of the city making it the furthest village of Newton from the city of Boston. However it is intersected by the Mass Pike and has access to the commuter rail system. This allows it great access to the city. It also has great access to the Charles River recreation area and conversation area so it has lots to do for those that enjoy the outdoors.

LaSalle College is located in Newton, but most students do live on campus. That means there is less of a moving frenzy during those college moving days. However, whenever you are moving during those peak times, the last two weeks of June, July and August, those should still be avoided because demand is still high so pricing will be impacted.

Auburndale movers should also avoid moving on Patriots Day. This is the day of the Boston Marathon and one section of the marathon runs through the edge of Auburndale. This obviously causes traffic delays. Many residents within 2 or 3 miles of the marathon route will still be affected by traffic delays which will add additional time and cost.

Another tip that Auburndale movers should keep in mind that they will be moving into or out of an expensive home. Because of this, you need to ensure that the moving company in Newton that you choose is properly insured and does proper background screening in it’s employees. You should also be sure that the moving company you choose is used to handling and moving high value moves.

Are you moving in or around Newton, MA? If so, you should know that Newton is considered the Garden City and regularly ranks as one of the best city in which to live in the country. There are a few reasons for this. Newton is regularly ranked as one of the safest cities in the country. Additionally, the Newton school system historically has one of the best school systems in the country. The cost of real estate in Newton is very high, but the affordability rate of this city is excellent. Most residents have degrees in higher education, so it is also considered one of the best educated cities in the country.

Newton has 12-14 little villages in the city. While there are no distinct borders, residents of Newton know which village they live in are very proud of their neighborhood.

One of the biggest challenges when moving in Newton is to ensure that whomever you hire belongs in your home. That means doing you due diligence when hiring a moving company in Newton. Be sure that the company hires the right employees, do some research on the moving company that you hire.

Newton has a high net income. Those who move in Newton are moving into and out of very expensive homes. This generally means that the items being moved are of high net-worth as well.

If items are damaged in a move, you want to be sure that the moving company you have selected will handle this in the most appropriate fashion. These are two reasons why those moving into and out of Newton should perhaps do more due diligence than some other towns and cities.